System of electrical distribution of currents



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G. J. VAN DEPOELE. I SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GURRENTS.

No. 417,654. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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(No Model.) 6 Sheets-Sheet 2. O. J. VAN DEPOELE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OF 'GURRENTS.

No. 417,654. I Patented De0. 17, 1889.

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SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OF CURRBNTS-.

No. 417,654. Patented Dec. 17', 1889 K/ Q Suva/M 601 Charles IVanDepoeZe Gwen lug N. FrrERs, Plwko-Lilhugnplm'. wnhin mn, o. C.

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G. J. VAN DEPOELE. SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OF GURRENTS.

No. 417,654. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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C. J. VAN'DEPOELE.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OFOURRENTS.

No. 417,654. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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- gcther with numerous details of construction UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE, OF LYNN, MASSACHUSETTS.

SYSTEM OF ELECTRICAL DISTRIBUTION OF CURRENTS SPECIFICATION forming partof Letters Patent No. 417,654, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filed September 21, 1889.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that LCHARLES J. VAN DE- POELE, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Lynn, in the county of Essex and State ofMassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inElectrical Distribution of Currents, of which the following is adescription, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and tothe letters and figures of reference marked thereon.

The invention relates to improvements in electric-railway systems, aprominent object being to safely and economically use continuouselectric currents produced at any distance from the line of the railway,said currents being transmitted at a high potential over relativelysmall and cheap conductors, which maycome from any practical distanceand are run to points in proximity to the line of the railway, althoughnot necessarily parallel therewith. The high-tension continuous currentis then led to suitable converters arranged along the line of therailway and by them transformed into currents of alternating polarityand supplied to the working-conductors. The converters are located atdesirable intervals along the line and are arranged and adapted tosupply alternating currents. The particular character of the currentssupplied from the secondary circuits of the converters will depend uponthe species of motor employed, my improved motor, which I have called aninduction-motor, requiring but two conductors,whereas another form ofalternate-current motor devised by me would require athree-wire systemin order to produce the desired eifects. This, however, is all comprisedwithin the present invention, and as such will be covered by the claims.Various means for converting the current and supplying the same to thelines of conductors will also be pointed out, to-

and arrangement shown for the sake of illustration.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a plan view of an electricrailway embodying the invention, means for automatically controlling thecircuits of one of the converters being shown in detail upon an enlargedscale. Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view, partly in elevation, showing aconverter system for trans- Serial No. 324,625. (No model.)

forming a continuous current into an alternating one and supplying thesame to a single circuit of working-00nductors. Fig. 3 is a diagrammaticplan view of the transformer seen in Fig.2. Fig. 4is a diagrammatic viewresembling Fig. 1, and also showing an electric railway embodying theinvention, but differing therefrom in employing a three-wire system ofworking-conductors. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing a mechanicalconverter arranged to produce double alternating currents in athree-wire circuit. Fig. 6 is a view in elevation showing a mechanicalembodiment of the apparatus diagrammatically indicated in Fig. 5. Fig. 7is a view in elevation showing a motor-generator for producing doublealternating currents. Fig. 8 is a sectional end view on the line 8 8 ofFig. 7. Fig. 9 is a diagrammatic elevation showing a motor and athree-wire circuit therefor, together wit-h connections and areversing-switch.

As indicated in the drawings, Ais a source of continuous currentslocated at any convenient point. 1 2 represent a circuit extendingtherefrom and traversing the vicinity of the line of' railway to besupplied.

B B are the track-rails of the line of railway, and 3 4 indicate exposedworking-conductors constituting the supply-circuit of the line ofrailway, and from which currents are collected by thetravelingmotor-cars to operate the motors thereon. Current'is suppliedto the working-conductors 3 4 at appropriate points along the line ofthe road by secondary conductors 5 6, extending from converters O O C 0the terminals 7 S of the primary circuits of which are in connectionwith the supply-conductors 1 2. A number of alternating or discontinuouscurrent-translating devices, as motor-cars D D D D, are indicated inoperative relation to the working-conductors. Cross-connections 9 10serve to connect adjacent portions of the workingconductors, so that ona tortuous line of railway, where the route bends back upon itself, ortwo lines of track approach in places, a single converter located at afavorable point may supply current to several sections thereof throughvery short connections, assuming, of course, that both or all thesections capable of receiving current from the converter do not eachcall upon it for its maximum output at the same time. This, however,will be very unlikely to occur, and at the worst would only necessitatethe momentary stoppage of one of the cars.

The working-conductors are normally continuous, although, as willappear, they maybe subdivided or divided into sections in case ofdanger, damage, or accident, and yet constitute an operative system.

The converters, being designed to transform the supply-current into oneof lower tension, are not designed to deliver theircurrent over verylong distances, and they should be located at such relative intervals ascan be readily supplied by each converter, and the secondary circuit ofeach converter is, moreover, provided, with means for automaticallycontrolling the operation of each piece of apparatus, so that thosesections of the railway uponwhich cars are actually moving may besupplied with current, while the converters of other. sections uponwhichno work is being performed will be sloweddown or stopped entirely untilthe demand for current is again made manifest by the drop of potentialin the vicinity of the converter, which said fall of potential willactuate the automatic controlling devices and start the converterinto-full action. The means for controlling the said converters are seenin Fig. 1, being the same as in the present case, and while many otherforms might be employed th at here shownan d described I find to be welladapted for the purpose.

As shown in connect-ion with converter C, two solenoids (Z d areprovided. The solenoid-(Z is of relatively-high resistance, and ispermanently connected in derivation from the working-circuit byconductors d (Z and is provided with an iron plunger E, suitablylaminated or subdivided, and to the lower portion of which is attached acircuit-breaker e. The solenoid d is of relatively-low resist ance, andis connected with the conductor 1), extending from the secondarycircuit. of the converter, and its terminal extends to a contaet 6,arranged in juxtaposition to a contact 6 carried by the circuit-breaking lever c, actuated by the plunger E of the other solenoid d. Thecontact 6 of the lever c is connectedby conductor 6 with theworking-eondnctor. 10. The solenoid d is provided with an iron plungerF, also subdivided and connected to a pivoted lever G, provided at itsopposite extremity with an adjustable ten sion-spring g. The lever G isconnected with the primary supply-conductor N, as. by conductor g, andcarries acontact f in j uxtaposition to a contact f, extending byconductor f to the negative primary circuit of the c011- verter. Thecores or plungers. E F are mechanically connected, so that they movetogether. The normal action of the springg is to raise its end of thelever and force down the plungers E F, closing both sets of contacts e eand f f, thereby closing both circuits of the converter and causing itto become active. As the potential in the working-circuit increases orreaches the predetermined standard, the resistance of the solenoid (Zbeing appropriately adjusted, the said solenoid will at such pointbecomesufliciently energized to raise its core E, and with it the coreF, against the tension of the spring g, and by opening both the primaryand secon dary circuits of the converter stop its action. A fall ofpotential in the working-conductor, as on the consumption of current bya motor traveling within the limit of supply of said converter, will'weaken the solenoid d to such an extent that the tension-spring Q willforce down the cores E F, close the contacts, and start the converter,the primary circuit closing first and the secondary lastly. In practiceit is, however, found desirable that one or more of the .converterssay,for example, 0 C should be kept continuously in operation, in order tofurnish current to energize the solenoids d of the automatic controllingdevices with which the automatic converters are provided-in other words,to-maintaiuthe potential of the line and prevent thestarting of theconverters upon the sectionswhere no current is-being consumed. Thesemain converters may be provided with automatic controllers also for usein case of accident; but when operating continuously the automaticdevices are cut out of circuit and direct connections made. When currentis consumed within the limit. of supply of an automatic converter, thepotential will at once drop,when the converter will start and feed intothe working-circuit, as described. Unless one or more converters arekept constantly in operation all the converters would start at once,raise the potential of the WOPkll'lgCllCl1lt to the desired point, andthen all stop. Therefore the working-conductors must be suppliedcontinuously with current of suflicient strength to operate theconverter-controlling mechanism, which will then automatically producethe described effects. In this. manner great economy in the'consumptionand production of current can be effected, but at the same time anydesired quantity can be supplied at any part of the line.

The converters C C (J C in Fig. 1 may be of an infinite variety offorms, since the character of current required can be produced byvarious forms of apparatus, and since I have shown and described variousforms of apparatus for producing discontinuous currents I may use anyform found most fitted for the purpose, whether the same be particularlyhereinafter described or not.

In Fig. 2 is indicated a form of converter such as is shown anddescribed in Letters Patent No. 400,809, granted to me April 2, 1889. Inthis figure is seen aconverter H, arranged to supply currents ofalternating polarity to a working-circuit 7L3 h, corresponding with theworking-circuit 3 a of Fig. 1. The details of the said converter Harefully ICC ITO

given in my said patent, and for the present purpose it is enough tostate that the rate of phase of said current is controlled by acommutator operated byan independent motor H. Suitable alternate-currentmotors D D are indicated as being in circuit with the converter H. Thesemotors should be of any type suitable for use with what I have termed asingle alternating current, such, for example, as are referred to in mypatent, No. 408,642, dated August 6, 1889. The form of converter seen inFig. 3 resembles that seen in Fig. 2, except that it is entirelyself-contained. The said converter H comprises an annular -iron core h,wound with two separate closed circuits h 712, precisely as in theconverter H. Thewinding h is the primary and the windingh is thesecondary, and said windings may be arranged in alternate sections, orone upon the oth er, as found most convenient. Conductors 71. h extendfrom opposite points upon the secondary winding 7L2. The primary windinghisconnected .at intervals with the sections of a commutator 715. Thecommutator 72 is mounted upon an axis H upon which is also mounted anelectro-magnet h, so arranged that its polar extensions are at rightangles with the poles in the core 71, thereby causing it to revolve uponthe said axis H Positive and negative commutator-lwushes are pro videdand carried by the said rotating elec-.

tro-magnet h, andthe continuous-supply current for the prlmar 1 circuith is supplied to said brushes from insulated annular contactablecontacts bearing upon the said annular also that of the electro-magneth.

torsH H may readily be arranged to givecontact-surfaces. As theelectromagnet it" rotates, thecontinuous current is admittedsuccessively through the several sections of the commutator hZand beingthus caused to traverse, the primary wire will create currents in thesaid secondary winding, which currents being sent to line through twoconductors, one will constitute what I have called single alternatingcurrents, the phases thereof following each-,other with adegree ofrapidity depending uponthc speed of the electro-magnet h, or, as in Fig.2, upon the speed of the motor H. The speed of. the motor H may belimited by means of an adjustable resistance or other device, as may Themoat any rate without com mutators of the delicate and troublesome formused in all e011- tinuous-current devices hitherto employed. Two generaltypes of such motors may be referred to, one in which the phases aredisplaced by self-induetion and the other in which a plurality of setsof field-magnets or field-magnet cores are used, together with acorresponding number of circuits, with the phases of the supply-currentbeing distributed among said circuits, so as to produce alternatefield-magnet poles, and so cause progressive rotation of the armature.Such a motor is seen in Fig. 9, and will be hereinafter referred to.

The leading feature of the'invention, which includes the translation ofhigh-tension continuous currents into discontinuous or alternatingcurrents of much lower tension at or near the point of eonsumption,isequally well embodied in the double-circuit or three-wire system as inthe single-circuit system which is illustrated in Fig. 4, or in thesingle-circuit system of Fig. 1. In said Fig. 4; the motors D D D D arearranged and connected for operation upon the double-circuit system,traveling connection being maintained between said motors and the threeconductors 1 2 3, which are provided for the purpose of conveying twoset-s of currents differing in phase, conductors 1 Teach representingone side of an outgoing circuit, and the conductor 3 (shown in dottedlines, for convenience) representing a common return, so that thecurrents flow through the motors alternately from the conductors 1 2,and thence to the return-conductor 3. p

In Fig. 4 the working-conductors of the railway are shown as dividedinto four sections. This also 'is indicated in theparent case and itsobj ect fully described, the same being that in case of accident ordamage to one section the remaining portions of the workingconductorwill not be incapacitated thereby and may remain in operative condition.For further details as to this feature of the invention reference ismade to the parent application.

The sections of outgoing conductors 1 2 are all normally connected byswitches I l 1 by the opening of any two of which a section will be cutout. Converters O C G O are indicated diagrammatically, each of the saidconverters being provided with branch conductors leading to the positiveand negative supply conductors. and with three circuit connectionsextending between the several portions thereof and theworking-conductors. A great advantage incident to .the employment ofthis system is thatit can be normally operated with the sectionsseparated, if desired, and that the converters need not necessarily beoperated in synehronism with each other, as would have to be the casewhere a plurality of converters were arranged to coact in supplying aset of continuous workingconductors. One or more of the converters maybe provided for each section of the work- .in g-con d uctors, andtheymay be operated con- IIO tinuously or interinittingly and be controlledby hand or automatically, as desired.

One form of converter, whet-her adapted to supply double or alternatingcurrents, is seen in Figs. 5 and 6.

In Fig. 5 the two generator-armatures J J are seen, said armatures eachcomprising a continuous iron core provided with a continuous winding j.Two contact-surfaces j 9" r are provided for each armature, and thearmatureconductor j is in each case connected to the twocontaet-surfaces-as, for example, by conductors j j 7' W, the saidconductors being desirably so arranged upon their axes that theconnections of one armature shall be at right angles with respect to theconnections of the other, as illustrated in the diagram Fig 5. Asuitablecontact brush or block is providedfor each of the contactsurfaces, andthe main conductor 1 is connected to the contact-surface j and theconductor 2 to the contact-surfacej The return-conductor 3 is connectedto the contact-surfaces r 0" of the said armature through conductors R,extending between said conductor 3 and the contact devices bearing uponsaid contact-surfaces. It will thus be evident that if the armatures J Jare rotated at the same speed, in the same field of force, with thearrangement of circuits and connections just referred to they willfurnish current impulses alternately to the conduct- The device seen inFig. 6 resembles in many respects the inductorium patented to me May 13,1884, No. 298,431, being in fact an improvement thereon. The saidinductorium or converter comprises a horizontal field-magnet K, whichmay be energized in any convenient manner; From the outer extremities ofthe said field-magnet K extend polar extensions L M L M, the sameextending above and below the magnet K. A centrally-located shaft mpasses through the central part of the core of the field-magnet K, andis provided with suitable bearings at top and bottom. Upon the upperportion of the shaft on are mounted the armatures J J, said armaturesbeing of such size that they may be placed at a safe distance from eachother and yet remain within the field of force of the polar extensions LM. The contact-surfaces may be disposed in any convenient manner. Asseen, however, they are substantially asin the diagram. The saidgeneratorarmatures are -rotated within their field of force by a thirdarmature J which is located below the field-magnet K, and receivescurrents from the main circuit through a suitable commutator and brushesthereon. Obviously the speed of the generator-armatures can be regulatedby any known means for regulating the motor-armature J and the device bethus readily adjusted to the demands of the working-circuits.

An arrangement very closely resembling that just described, and alsosimilar in most respects to that seen in Fig. 2 of the parentapplication, is illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8. In said Fig. 7 isillustrated a form of cu rrentconverter or motor-generator. The machinecomprises two sets of field-magnets O Q and separate armatures S T. Botharmatures are mounted upon a single shaft U in operative positionbetween the pole-pieces of the fieldmagnets O Q. One armature, as S,acts as a motor to rotate the shaft U and the armature T, and the saidarmature S receives current from the contiuuous-supply circuit. Thearmature T is provided with a continuous winding upon a suitablecontinuous core, and said winding is divided by cross-connectionssubstantially as indicated in Fig. 5. The winding of the armature T maybe divided into two or four sections, or even more, according to thenumber of circuits it is desired to supply with currents (littering inphase. As indicated in Figs. 7 and 8, the armature T is provided withfour terminals connected to four contact-rings T T T T. The said fourcontact-rings may be connected to constitute a three-wire system,substantially as is indicated in Fig. 5. As is well understood, theconductor with which the armature T is wound should be of a size suitedto the production of current of the desired tension. The automaticcontrolling device indicated in connection with the converter seen inFig. 1 can of course be wound to any of the converters hereinbeforedescribed, such application being obvious to a practical electrician.

As indicated, the motor part of the motorgenerator seen in Fig. 7 isprovided with compound winding; but since this forms no particular partof the present invention the said apparatus may be wound or connected inthe manner best calculated to secure the desired results.

Referrringto Fig. 9, the motor V comprises two pairs of fieldmagnetpoles it a a u. The poles u 16 constituting one set, are arranged toreceive current from one of the main outgoing conductors. The poles w" aconstitute a second set, and are placed at right angles to thefirst-mentioned poles, and they in turn are connected to the otheroutgoing main conductor. As indicated, the conductor 1 supplies currentto one set of poles and the conductor 2 to the other set, suitableenergiZing-conductors being wound upon the said polar extensions andconnected with the supply-conductors. The inner ends of both sets offield-magnet conductors are united and connected to the common return 3.The four field-magnet poles or cores are preferably scoured to andproject inwardly from an exterior iron casing or shell V, and the saidcores being thus magnetically united their rapid magnetization anddemagnetization, or, so to speak, the shifting of polarity from one tothe other, will be greatly facilitated, the said cores themselves being,furthermore, constructed of suitably-subdivided iron, according to therate of phase of the current employed. An armature V is rotatablymounted Within the double field of force formed by the field magnets u aa a and said armature is wound with continuous conductor 11. Thearmature -conductor 1) is to a certain extent divided into sections bybeing provided with terminals 1 at suitable distances apart, which saidterminals are all interconnected by being joined to a continuousconductor V conveniently disposed upon and moving with said armature.

The specific application of the system herein described toelectric-railway motors, notbeing claimed, need not be herein referredto, since the mechanical connections between the armature-shafts of themotors and the runninggear of thevehicles to be propelled and theparticular structure or arrangement of the motors themselves do notnecessarily form a part of the present invention, which, as previouslystated, refers to a system of distributing currents whereby certainmechanical, electrical, and commercial advantages are attained.

Although I have described the apparatus in detail, it Will be understoodthat no special form thereof is essential and that the same may beVaried in many ways without departing from the invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, 1s

1. A system of supplying and distributing currents for electricrailways, comprising normally-continuous working-conductors along theline of way, a source of continuous current of relatively-highpotential, a supplycircuit extending from said source to points adjacentto the Working-conductors, and a plurality of transformers adapted to beoperated by the continuous-current supply and to deliver alternating ordiscontinuous currents to the working-conductors.

2. A system of supplying and distributing currents for electricrailways, comprising normally-continuous working-conductors along theline of Way, a source of continuous current of relatively-highpotential, a supplycircuit extending from said source to points ad acentto the working-conductors, and a plurality of transformers adapted to beoperated by the continuous-current supply and to deliver alternating ordiscontinuous currents to one or more sets of working-conductors.

currents for electric railways, comprising normally-continuousworking-conductors along the line of way, a source of continuous currentof relatively-high potential, a supplycircuit extending from said sourceto points adjacent to the working-conductors, and a plurality oftension-reducing devices distributed along the line of way and arrangedand connected to receive the high-tension continuous-current supply andto deliver to the said working-conductors alternating or discontinuouscurrent of a lower potential.

4:. A system of supplying and distributing currents for electricrailways, comprising working-conductors along the line of way, a circuitsupplying continuous current of relatively-high potential to pointsadjacent to said working-conductors, current-converters distributedalong the line of way and arranged to receive the continuous-supplycurrent and to deliver continuous, discontinuous, or alternatingcurrents to the working-conductors, and automatic means for closing thecircuits and rendering the converters operative upon a fall of potentialin the workingconductors.

5. A system of supplying and distributing currents for electricrailways, comprisin g normally-continuous working-conductors along theline of way, a source of continuous current of relatively-highpotential, a supply-circuit extending from said source to pointsadjacent to the conductors, and a plurality of motor-generatorscomprising a motor part actuated by the continuous current and agenerator portion acting under the influence of the motor to producealternating or discontinuous currents, and connections between thegenerative portions of the motor-generators and the working-conductors.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature in presence of twowitnesses.

CHARLES J. VAN DEPOELE.

Witnesses:

FRANK L. STAGG, J. SORIBNER.

3. A system of supplying and distributing

